First pupils at new Northampton school have '˜unique opportunity' to help design academy building

Artist's impression of the Northampton International Academy which is being built in the former Royal Mail office on Barrack Road, Northampton NNL-150909-121000001

Andy Hardy has been appointed as Executive Principal of the Northampton International Academy (NIA), which will open on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office in Barrack Road in September.

It will be an ‘all-through’ academy that will provide spaces FOR 2,220 pupils, aged between four and 19 years old. For the first year pupils will be taught in temporary classrooms on site as the building conversion will not be completed until summer 2017.

Mr Hardy said the school would provide 300 year seven and 60 reception places in September.

He said: “For those first year students it will be an exceptionally unique opportunity for them to shape their future learning environment.

“I want to create student councils and I want to get the pupils in the building with hard hats on having an input into how it is designed.”

Mr Hardy said he wanted to ensure that the new academy building was an asset to the community and hoped to have a number of after-school clubs running after lessons had finished.

Due to the high amount of pupils from ethnic minorities the school is also going to have a special focus of foreign languages.

Future pupils of Northampton International Academy at a topping out ceremony

Mr Hardy said: “I want to make sure all the basic curriculum requirements are covered, focusing on maths and English, but due to our diverse pupil intake we will offer many different languages.”

Mr Hardy was previously principal at Barnfield West Academy where he raised GCSE achievement from 16 per cent in 2007 (five A*- C English and maths) to 63 per cent - more than tripling the results.